Glen Strathfarrar (Scottish Gaelic: Srath Farair) is a glen in the Highland region of Scotland, near Loch Ness. Glen Strathfarrar is named for the River Farrar, which runs through the glen,[2] and which derives from the Pictishvar (meaning "to wind"), and was known to the Romans as Varrar.[2] The full name is a curious 'Gaelicisation' of the Gaelic: as a strath is an elongated glen, a title of 'Glen Strath' is tautological, and it is therefore likely that an English-only speaker, ignorant of the meaning of 'Strath' when transcribing the map of the location, recorded that this was the 'Glen of Strathfarrar'.[citation needed]

The Glen is part of the Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme, with a dam at Loch Monar and a 9 km tunnel carrying water to an underground power station at Deanie; a second dam just below Loch Beannacharan feeds a tunnel carrying water to Culligran power station (also underground).[3] The Monar dam at Loch Monar is the largest arch dam in Britain.[2]

The central section of Glen Strathfarrar (covering 4027 ha[1]) is designated as a national scenic area,[4] one of forty such areas in Scotland, which have been defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development.[5] The area covered by the NSA represents the section of the glen least affected by the hydro-electric scheme, and includes the Culligran Falls.[6]

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The River Farrar (Scottish Gaelic: Farar / Uisge Farair) is formed as the waters of the Uisge Misgeach and the Garbh-uisge merge around 2 km after the latter exits Loch Monar.[7] The river then adopts a sinuous course along the flat floor of the glen,[6] running eastwards through two lochs, Loch a' Mhuillidh and Loch Beannacharan, which is dammed as part of the Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme.[8] The river then continues east, passing over Culligran Falls, before merging with the waters of the River Glass to form the River Beauly below Struy Bridge near the village of Struy.[7]

A small island in Loch a' Mhuillidh holds the remains of a building used by Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat on his flight from Culloden after the unsuccessful JacobiteJacobite rising of 1745.[2] Following this rebellion the Highlands underwent massive social changes, and the introduction of sheep farming followed by the establishment of deer forests led to depopulation in the 19th century, a period known as the Highland clearances. The Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme led to further depopulation in Strathfarrar, with only two buildings (the keeper's house at Monar and Pait Lodge) surviving the rising waters of Loch Monar.[2]

The road along the glen is private, and a locked gate system operates whereby permission for motor vehicle access must be requested at the gatehouse. A quota of cars are allowed in the glen each day. Access times vary, according to the month, between 9am and 8pm. In the winter the only means of access is to contact Mountaineering Scotland who will give a security code for the gate.[18] The resulting relative lack of cars through the glen contributes to the remote and utter peace and calm, especially of the upper reaches of the glen toward Loch Monar.

As with all land in Scotland, there is a right of responsible access to most of the land in the glen,[19] and there is thus no restriction on access along the glen by foot, bicycle or other non-motorised transport.[18]